Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Pre-Cheltenham appetiser to enjoy
The Imperial Cup meeting at Sandown has always appeared to embrace its position in the racing calendar, whetting the appetite for next week’s Cheltenham Festival while offering lucrative bonuses for any horse that can win the feature event before following up in Gloucestershire. The Pipe family certainly did, with Martin picking up the pot in 1993 (Olympian) and 1998 (Blowing Wind), and son David emulating him in 2007 with Gaspara.
The race sponsors stump up the readies once again in the Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (14:27) with Go Dante – who has swerved Cheltenham the last twice – bidding for an unprecedented hat-trick of wins. He’s only 2 lb above his most recent C&D success in December but has something to prove having pulled up last time (wind op since), a comment that also applies to last year’s runner-up Wreckless Eric.
The gamble of the race is Brace For Landing, who doesn’t have that much to find on top-rated (with a ‘small p’) Mondo Man who heads the betting. The first-named is trained by Dan Skelton, who went close to picking up the bonus with Langer Dan in 2021, and the former Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm inmate was an eye-catching fifth over C&D in January, though it’s worth noting he has no entry next week. Mondo Man, meanwhile, has one in the County Hurdle.
One to note: Jack Hyde, one of two ‘Horses In Focus’ in the race, won back-to-back Southwell races last March, and this season – which has seen him keep better company on a couple of occasions – looks to have been tailored around this month. He has entries in both the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe.
Unusual profile to look out for in EBF Final
“this is all he's got at this trip but a step up in distance could get more out of him, with handicaps already an option”
That was the view of the Timeform race reporter following Wolf Walker’s second in a novices’ hurdle at Wincanton in January, perhaps no surprise given that it was the horse’s third start over two miles.
What makes it all the more intriguing, however, is that prior to the now-seven-year-old's return at Hereford in December he was last seen finishing fifth in a Cheltenham Hunter Chase in May 2024 on the back of three Larkhill point-to-point wins.
So, how well handicapped is Wolf Walker on a mark of 117 now going up in trip for an in-form yard in the European Breeders' Fund Betfair "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final (13:50)? If we go by the subsequent efforts of his Haydock conqueror Captain Hugo, who won the Morebattle Hurdle off 129 last weekend, the answer could be: very.
The problem is, that could also be the answer for lots of these typically strapping sorts, eight of whom have a ‘small p’ attached to their rating. Favourite Scorpio Rising is the only one who has fully shown his cards in handicaps, and there could be any number of well-treated contenders.
Only one, however, has a run over the Gold Cup course and distance to his name.
Russell up another Craigie Cup winner
The 3B Crane Hire Handicap Hurdle (For The Craigie Cup) has been kind to Lucinda Russell, with the 2023 (five-year-old Traprain Law) and 2025 (12-year-old Thereisnodoubt) renewals being won by the yard, albeit by horses at different ends of their careers.
The Craigie Cup refers to the Craigie Estate, part of the land where Ayr Racecourse has been located since moving from its original Seafield site in 1907, and this year’s race (15:20) sees the yard represented by two runners. French recruit Litleangel Duseuil was picked up for €70,000 in July, the Fontainebleu winner having chased home Fort Dino (now with Henry De Bromhead) at Auteuil on her most recent start in May, and has since had a wind op.
Triple Crown Ted is more familiar to racegoers on these shores, the six-year-old having won two of his last three starts, both at Kelso. He caught the eye of the Timeform reporters with the rapid headway he made to lead after two out on the most recent occasion, picking up the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag, and he also has the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag having run well here in both bumpers and over hurdles.
Chief opposition – despite some intervention from the British handicapper - may come from a brace of Noel Kelly runners. Chanceawetmorning (also declared on Friday afternoon) has shown a renaissance in recent handicaps, while C&D winner Gamigin bounced back to form out of the blue at Down Royal in January.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
